Monday, November 14, 2011

I hesitate to post on this subject since it
does not directly pertain to the work I do through Prana Healthworks but with
the Holiday season approaching, I thought I might share some of my thoughts on
how we as individuals can use the spirit of giving to help our country and its
citizens through this difficult financial time.Before I put forth my idea, I want to first draw attention to what I see
as a major disconnect between all the inhabitants of this great nation of
ours.It seems everywhere I look these
days there are signs and symbols of patriotism and nationalism.“Support Our Troops”, “God Bless America”,
and other similar themes echo from the bumpers and tailgates of our cars from
coast to coast.“Old Glory”, the stars
and stripes is proudly displayed on buildings and houses nationwide as well as
being tattooed to nearly every Harley Davidson I see, both man and
machine.Nationalism is everywhere but
something equally important is missing from message.Unity! What about unity?

My father was a veteran of World War II.He fought in the Philippine Islands and in
Korea.The freedoms he fought for are a
great source of pride in my family.Like
many of his fellow soldiers, he came home with a desire to apply those freedoms
to his country thus they created a great sense of national pride.Along with that pride was a common bond that
was forged on the battlefields of Europe and Asia as well as in towns large and
small back here in America.That bond
was their unity in a common cause and everyone from my parent’s generation
fought the same war for that cause.To
them, rationing the staples we take for granted was a way of life and each
family supported the next in order to ensure that the men fighting abroad had
what they needed to succeed in defeating their enemies.After the war, our country flourished like no
other time in history because every man, woman, and child was unified behind
that cause.The goal was to make every
product the best and provide impeccable service to all patrons because that
what America stood for.UNITED States of
America!

On September 11, 2001, our country was
attacked in a horrific way.Many of us
watched mesmerized as thousands of our countrymen perished in the collapsing
buildings and plane wreckage.That day
was a turning point.Our national hearts
were stirred once again.Unfortunately,
soon after, the 9/11 spectacle was replaced on our televisions and computer
screens with more current affairs.We
all detached ourselves from the most devastating event in our countries’
history in the last 50 years because it didn’t directly impact our complacent
lives.There was no rationing
needed.Prices remained relatively
stable. No one except the families of
the victims had to sacrifice their day to day lives, thus what should have
unified our country actually further segregated us.Our economy took a nose dive, greed and
corruption were exposed in our financial institutions and apathy for the war
Iraq and Afghanistan divided our nation politically.Today, the rich continue to get richer, the
poor remain poor, and what was once a stable middle class family, now has to
rely on savings and frugality in order to maintain a modest living.Despite the fact that we all witnessed how
quickly the world can change in a matter of minutes, none of us seem willing to
commit ourselves to solving the problems exposed by that cataclysmic
event.

What we need is to believe in each other again
and support each other as Americans from the greatest nation on the Earth.The nation our fathers and mother,
grandfathers and grandmothers sacrificed so much to protect and rebuild.We need to be diligent about choosing locally
made goods and services and stop relying on foreign imports of oil, goods, and
services.Our nation is being sold lock,
stock and barrel to the highest bidder and we are all standing by watching, mesmerized.This attack is not coming from hijacked
planes though, but from corporate greed and foreign outsourcing.We have the resources, the ingenuity, and the
man power to regain our strength as a nation but to do so, we have to put aside
our selfish, capitalistic, corporate dictated mentality and become a nation who
is not only proud of its heritage but one that is willing to sacrifice the
allure cheaper goods and labor in favor of domestically made products and
services produced by small businesses.

What I am proposing this holiday season is
simple.Instead of purchasing mountains
of Chinese made electronics and plastics, or boxes full of sweatshop produced
clothing that support corporate excess; buy into local small businesses and domestic
entrepreneurs.Purchase your friends and
family members gifts made by hand in this country.Give gift certificates that support service
industries like hair stylists, personal trainers, and massage therapists!With near double-digit unemployment in this
country, it is time for Americans to unite behind one another and make a stand
in favor of quality not quantity. Share
the wealth at home this holiday season and keep it out of the pockets of
foreign millionaires.You’ll be putting
food in the mouths of your neighbors.You’ll be buying clothes for the children in “your” child’s
classes.You’ll be making a difference
in the lives of people in your home town who really need it most.Your hard earned dollars become their hard
earned dollars. It our turn to be the heroes
and protect the freedoms that our ancestors fought and died for.Keep your dollars in America this year!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Last week I was inspired to touch on this
subject by two fellow bloggers, Marion
and Nasrine
whose posts were directed at personal development and energy vampires
respectively.Each got me thinking about
how important it is in life to be the “captain of your own ship”.In other words, no one else is able to guide
your decisions or the possible outcomes of your life better than you.If you know yourself and what your personal
needs are then you will have a better chance of achieving your goals.But that’s the trick then isn’t it.Knowing yourself enough to trust your own
instincts and to listen to the internal voice of your own body.

Marion mentions in her post that one needs
discipline to practice “fierce self care”.I truly love this concept and the use of the word fierce in this context.Self-care is so often over looked in today’s
fast paced lifestyle.We just go, go, go
and give, give, give until we drop or become ill.What this says about humanity is that we
would rather be recognized as someone who has compassion for the hearts of
others and who selflessly devotes their time and energies to others than to be
accused of being selfish or narcissistic.Our fear of rebuttal forces us into sacrificing our own needs and well-being.Nasrine also makes a valid point in her post that
one must distance themselves from toxic relationships that eat up our time with
gossip and rhetoric.Even worse are the “energy
vampires” who constantly seek our affirmation when placing blame on someone
else for their own mistakes.I applaud
her discipline in practicing “fierce self care!”At some point we must learn to walk away from
these toxic “friends” and stand alone in the storm, unafraid of reprisal or
ridicule.

So how does one go about being the “captain”?First and most important one must develop a
questioning mind.Do you take what
people say as fact just because they are friends of yours?What if they are wrong?Don’t be afraid to do your own research and
discover your own truth.So much of what
is passed around as fact on television or in the media stream is hearsay and
conjecture.Yet often with enough
repeatability, what is fiction becomes the accepted “fact” and we are left with
a skewed version of reality.Our friends
are very often our filter for what we decide to believe or not believe.How easy it is to go along with the crowd
without really knowing the reason behind our actions.Don’t be a sheep, rather, be the shepherd!

Next, be open to new possibilities and
uncertain outcomes.So often I meet
people who fear to try new things because of uncertain outcomes.They prefer the safe, the tried and true, the
status quo.How boring life must be behind
the barriers, never playing the game but only watching from the sidelines.Where would we all be if not for the
explorers, the hunters, and the daredevils?I am not saying you have to try skydiving or travel into space, but
facing ones fears is how we learn.We must
overcome more than just the fear itself, but everything associated with that
fear including hatred, prejudice, jealousy and apathy.Overcoming fear requires a selfless act of
trust during which the body surrenders muscular control to the experience
rather than the outcome.Once the mind
realizes that no harm has been inflicted on the body, it relaxes and a new
reality is established.Taking small
steps toward an uncertain outcome will lead to the precipice of decision.Consider what you know and take a “leap of
faith”.

Lastly, listen to your own voice.Instincts involve the whole body, not just
the head.What does your heart say to
you, what does your gut say to you, what do your feet tell you?A good captain assesses the situation at hand,
takes in the counsel of their officers, but in the end, they make decisions
from past experience (knowledge) and “gut feelings” (instinct).Your body is your most precious gift. Don’t leave it to chance or let someone else
dictate its needs.Be fierce about your
personal need for time alone (spend time walking, meditating, or praying), be
fierce about doing something nice for yourself (buy yourself a gift), and most
importantly, be fierce about your individuality and stand up for what you
believe (disagree with the crowd).Let
go of toxic relationships no matter how long you have been cultivating
them.If you’re afraid of losing a
friend then how good a friend were they to begin with?Let them know you care by being a witness
with out becoming involved in their outcome.Encourage them to be their own captain and let you be yours.

A captain is by no means perfect.On the contrary, a good captain understands
that mistakes happen but also that with a certain risk comes the possibility of
a greater reward.Lead from the heart,
not from the head, for the heart is capable of forgiveness.Know that there are always going to be rough
seas ahead, but those are the opportunities to learn and grow.Navigate them with a questioning mind, an
open heart, and a certain voice.